


A new companion

by Subaruchan192



Series: After the fire- Post war Eruri [4]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Adopting a dog, Amputation, Animal Rescue, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dogs, Domestic Fluff, Drama, Drama & Romance, Eruri find their dog, Erwin Smith Lives, Established Relationship, Everyone Is Alive, Fix-It, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Hugs, Injured Dog, Kissing, Living Together, M/M, Medical Examination, Medical Procedures, Mentioned Hange Zoë, Mentioned Jean Kirstein, Post-Canon, Post-War, Soft Erwin Smith, Soft Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Sweet, Titans are extinguished
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:49:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29438544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subaruchan192/pseuds/Subaruchan192
Summary: Levi and Erwin have just settled in their new lives after the Titans has been extinguished. One day, on their way back home from fishing, they find an injured dog in the woods and take care of him.(guest star: Sasha Blouse)
Relationships: Levi Ackerman/Erwin Smith
Series: After the fire- Post war Eruri [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2086356
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	A new companion

**Author's Note:**

> So this turned out to be my longest Eruri fic so far and def. Didn't expect it to be this one =)

Mankind hadn’t seen snow since the Titans walked the earth, but now the white splendour glistened from the light of the setting evening sun. The air was crystal clear and pure, almost as if the last remnants of the Titans were finally wiped from the earth and the regeneration of humanity could now begin.

It was quiet in the forest through which Erwin and Levi rode. Only the occasional rustle of snow sliding off the tree branches and the creaking of the white surface under their horses' hooves broke the peacefulness.

Erwin took a deep breath, enjoying how the clear air filled their lungs and watched with a smile as his breath danced as a wisp of mist.

“The fishing experiment was a surprising success,” Levi said, glancing at the haul they had tied to their saddles. His cheeks were flushed from the cold, but his eyes shone brighter and clearer than they had for a long time.

Since they had settled in this small, secluded valley outside the wall, he had blossomed. The shadows of his past had been chased away by the bright light of the winter sun. At last, he seemed to be able to enjoy life and that made Erwin happy.

“Indeed. That will stock up our supplies for the next while.”

“Shall we fry some for dinner?”

“I'd love to. It's definitely better than bread and cheese again.” Erwin laughed and his blue eyes sparkled with delight. “So at least the shivering in the cold wasn't in vain.”

“Oh, come on, you enjoyed it after all.” Snorting, Levi rolled his eyes and nudged him with his elbows, grinning.

“I did.” A blissful smile spread over Erwin’s lips while he absently patted the neck of his mare Yuki. “Though, admittedly, breaking a hole into the ice turned out to be quite difficult. I was worried when it creaked under you.”

“It certainly wouldn’t have carried you.” Smirkingly, Levi looked at him, a sight which still surprised Erwin, but he came to enjoy. A soft chuckle escaped him and he glared a playful warning at him.

“Who’d have thought that being so tiny would be useful,” he couldn’t help, but to tease and it had the wished effect. Levi’s gaze shot daggers at him, but the corner of his mouth twitched.

“It saved your arse more than once.”

“Yes, it did.” Erwin smiled tenderly, throwing Levi off guard. The dark eyes widened for a moment, before the blush on his cheeks became a little darker and quickly, he turned his head away. A soft, warm laugh escaped Erwin as he watched it. “So many years, but some things never change.”

“Shut up!” Levi grumbled and his blush deepened even more. Erwin breathed out with a sigh, his lips curling up into a warm smile.

“Levi?”

“Hmmm?” He tried to harrumph, but for once failed miserably, the embarrassment warming up the tone, but he slowly turned his head back to him.

“I love you,” Erwin whispered, with all of his emotions resting in his deep voice. The skip of Levi’s heart resonated through the silence of the forest and Erwin could feel it. It was a spark that prickled over his skin, lifting the fine hair of his arms and his own heart beat speed up.

“I love you, too.” Shyly, Levi looked up through his dark lashes. The air after the first snow in centuries was truly magical and, in this moment, the serene feeling it provided became even stronger.

But then suddenly something changed. Tension laid in the air and Yuki stopped, frozen in her place and threw her head up.

“Yuki?” Erwin asked concerned and smoothed through her fur.

She snorted irritated again and began to prance restlessly on the spot.

“What's wrong with her?” Levi asked as he had stopped his stallion Raven a few steps ahead of them and turned back around.

“I don't know. Something seems to be making her uneasy,” Erwin said as he tried to ease her forward, but Yuki didn’t move. She just neighed, a high, terrified sound and her eyes were blown wide.

Levi looked worried at him. He hadn’t been thrilled when Erwin had chosen a young, inexperienced mare as his new horse after his loyal stallion Phoenix had given his life to protect him during the Beast Titan’s attack. Yuki had only known the world inside the wall Sina. Everything was foreign to her and Levi feared that one day something could scare her so much that she might throw Erwin off. His left side was still paralysed from the injuries inflicted by the boulder, and so if she were to shy away, he would probably not be able to hold on to the saddle and injure himself.

Just as Levi opened his mouth to repeat his objection, he felt Raven's muscles tense as well and the stallion stared into the impenetrable thicket of the forest, ears flat. And then they heard it. A rustling, not far away, but not from the snow slipping from the branches.

“Did you hear that?” Levi asked and instinctively felt for the knife he always carried.

Erwin nodded, his eyes narrowed as he tried to see something, but the bright light of the winter sun was too glaring and was also reflected by the snow. Then there was another noise. A bark and then a growl. Several.

“Wolves,” he whispered and his own muscles tensed. Apparently, Yuki had noticed them before they did and he absently patted her neck, while his eyes never left the covert.

“That was to be expected. Nature is recovering and there is plenty of food here. We'd better take a different way.”

“Yes.” Erwin nodded in agreement. Gently, he tugged on the reign to turn her around, when Yuki neighed, loud and warning, and suddenly there was a turmoil in the direction of the pack. Yelping filled the air and then the rustling moved further away from them, until it died completely.

“Seemed like she chased them away.” 

“Indeed,” Levi said, baffled. 

“Well done, Yuki,” Erwin praised her and patted her neck. The mare neighed, happy about his affection and it casted a tender smile on his face.

“We still should better get going before they’re going to return,” Levi suggested as he turned Raven around.

“Yes, you’re right.” Erwin nodded and was just about to follow him as another sound made him stop. It was a quiet noise, about the same direction as the wolves had been, but it was a snivelling whimper.

“Erwin?”

“Shh…,” he said and raised his hand. “Listen! Do you hear that?”

Levi frowned and strained his ears, while his eyes scanned the area and there it was again: a high, pitiful cry echoing through the silence. The dark eyes of Levi widened and he turned back to Erwin. It was a sound they had heard many times in their life, though it had always been a horse making them. The wailing of a dying animal.

For a short moment, they exchanged a gaze and then turned their horses towards the origin of the noise without hesitation. White powder was thrown into the air to their sides as they trotted trough the knee-high snow, shimmering in the sinking sun. Levi and Erwin knew that if they wanted to find the injured animal, they had to find it quick or it would be too dark in the forest to see anything and they didn’t have any lanterns with them.

Fortunately, finding tracks wasn't particularly difficult in the snow and soon Levi spotted footprints in the white surface. Then the whimpering sounded again, this time full of pain. They had come a good bit closer. On and on they struggled through the dense undergrowth, pushing aside low-hanging branches as their horses made their way.

A few minutes later, they reached an area of the forest where the trees were thinning out. They had not heard the crying of the animal for a while, but they had discovered the tracks of the wolf pack and followed them in the opposite direction.

Erwin was the first to discover it. Not far from the edge of the forest lay a dog with shaggy brown and black fur, panting heavily.

His left hind paw was caught in a trap and blood dripped like red pearls into the innocent snow where it had already formed a pool.

“Hunters? Here?” An angry growl escaped Levi's throat as he slid out of the saddle and hurried over to the injured animal.

Erwin followed him, although it took him a little longer, as his limbs had become stiff due to the cold and awkward position in the stirrups. The movement that had been so easy for him for so long was now strangely unfamiliar and awkward, but that didn't matter now.

Finally, the snow crunched under his boots and he hurried over to Levi, who was fiddling with the steel trap and desperately tried to free them.

The dog tilted their head as he noticed someone approaching and there was a pleading shimmer in his amber-coloured eyes.

“Shh, shh, little one, it's all right,” Erwin whispered as he knelt down to him. “We're going to help you.”

Carefully he reached out his hand not to frighten the poor animal, but the dog only whimpered and let his head sink exhausted into the snow.

The fur felt dull underneath his fingertips. To his amazement, the dog showed no signs of aggression when he touched them. He almost seemed relieved that someone was helping him, but his eyes began to glaze over. If they didn't hurry, he would either die of hypothermia or bleed to death.

“Damn.” Levi cursed. The metal of the trap had cooled considerably over the long, cold days, and each touch stung, but with gloves on he would lack the dexterity to destroy the stubborn mechanism of the trap, whose teeth dug into the flesh of the dog's leg.

Erwin looked over at him with concern.

“Perhaps we should bring him into the warmth together with the trap first ,” he suggested, because the condition of the animal worried him. “Then we can still free him.”

“That's impossible,” Levi replied grimly, the muscles of his jaw tensed as he tried to pull out the pin, but his clammy fingers kept slipping, barely getting a grip on the delicate component. “It's anchored in the frozen ground. I can't tell how deep. It will hardly be possible for us to pick up the ground. The hunters wanted to make sure their prey didn't escape. Those fucking bastards.”

“How cruel,” Erwin agreed, his blue eyes hardening.

Of course, Levi and Erwin were aware that the hunters were also just trying to survive in this new, still restructuring world and needed food, but they despised the non-specific method that kept the hunters from looking their victim in the eye when they killed them, which could be slow and agonizing with such a trap.

The dog cried in pain again. Levi had tried to pry open the jaws of the trap, but the resistance was too strong and the teeth buried themselves in the flesh again.

Immediately Erwin turned back to the dog and feverishly searched for a solution. Finally, he slipped his dark green coat off his shoulders and spread it on the ground next to the dog. Carefully he lifted the poor creature as far as he could without hurting him further and laid him down on it to protect him at least a little from the cold. The dog opened his eyes and looked up at him gratefully for a moment.

Endless minutes passed, but then Levi finally managed to break the joint of the trap and the mouth opened. Relieved, they exhaled and Levi sank back on his heels, wiping the sweat from his brow before finally inspecting the injury. The wound was deep and had injured several muscles. They had to take care of it or it would get inflamed and eventually kill the dog.

Without hesitation, Levi slipped out of one sleeve of his coat, pulled the fabric taut, and was about to cut it off, but Erwin stopped him.

“Take mine,” he said. “I don't need it anyway.”

Levi paused, looked at him, and nodded. Hastily, he stood up and hurried over to him. He quickly cut the white fabric of Erwin's shirt, leaving some of the sleeve to knot and thus protect the stump of his right arm from the cold. Then he partially slit the fabric and bandaged the wound tightly. The dog barked in pain and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Everything is going to be fine,” Erwin whispered again, stroking over his snout. “It won’t take much longer. You are such a good dog.”

“Done,” Levi said and looked at the bandage for a moment, which already began to be strained by the blood, before he wrapped him in Erwin’s and his own coat to keep him as warm as possible. “We need to get him out of here. Quickly.”

With that he cradled the dog, who was half of Levi’s size, in his arms and lifted him up, carrying him over to Raven. The black stallion understood immediately. He walked over to his owner and lay down in the snow so that Levi could put the dog on top of him before he sat in the saddle, his left hand pressing the trembling body securely against him and carefully, Raven stood up again, taking care to shake his passengers as little as possible.

“Okay, ready to go,” Levi announced.

In the meantime, Erwin had mounted Yuki and was orienting himself by the position of the sun, which had almost completely disappeared behind the mountains. He turned his head back to him and nodded, the stern, determined expression back on his face, which had been eased away over the past months, a glimpse of the commander he once had been. It was kind of strange how easily they fell back into the roles they thought they had happily left behind. Only a little incident and they were back in their crisis mode, though that might be what was going to save the dog’s life.

During the entire ride back, Erwin kept looking over at Levi and the dog again and again, quite surprise how much he cared for him already and according to how often Levi checked on him, too and the worried expression on his face, he felt the same.

“Maybe, I should turn around and head to the hunter’s village on the other side of the forest. Maybe they have medicine.”

“No,” Levi immediately dismissed Erwin’s suggestion with a shook of his head. “I will take the dog home first and then ride to the village myself.”

“Levi, I can,” Erwin began, but Levi only looked at him anxiously.

“I know, but it will be dark soon, and probably even snowing again,” he said, pointing up at the sky, which they could barely make out through the dense treetops. Deep shadows of clouds moved across the sky, partially obscuring the moon. “Yuki is still inexperienced and not particularly sure-footed.”

“You still don't trust her?”

“I know that's not logical right now, but it would make me feel better. I'm already worried about this little guy here and I don't want to worry about you, too,” he explained, stroking the bloodied fur of the dog that was still whimpering. “Besides, the dog has come to trust you. Your voice seems to calm him down. It's certainly better if you stay with him while I get some medicine.”

Erwin frowned, not really convinced yet, but even in the shadows of the night he could almost see the worry glowing in Levi's eyes and finally he relented with a deep sigh.

“Alright, then.”

“Thank you,” Levi said, exhaling in relief. Erwin nodded and focused back on the trail.

About twenty minutes later they finally reached their house. It was a small, simple house, built mainly by Levi, Hanji, Connie and Jean with three rooms: a big kitchen/living room area in the front and their bedroom and a guestroom in the back. Right next to the house was a huge paddock for their horses with a little, open stable to protect them from the weather. It wasn’t much, but Erwin and Levi had all they needed: each other.

Determined, Raven walked toward the front door and lay back down in the cold snow, while Levi hastily got out of the saddle, picked up the dog, and carried him into the house.

Erwin also dismounted and briefly patted Yuki's neck before he followed Levi into the house, who had already laid down the dog in front of the fireplace and freed it from the sodden coats. Then he got back up and hurried past Erwin, stacking wood he had chopped last week in the fireplace, while Erwin knelt down to the dog.

“How are you, little one?” he asked as he rested his head on his lap, even though the condition was obvious. The dog whimpered and nestled his head closer to Erwin as if seeking shelter and protection. With sad, dark blue eyes, Erwin looked down at him and stroked his muzzle. He felt warmer.

With a hiss, Levi lit the wood and soon a content flame crackled in its stone bed, providing a comforting warmth.

Then Levi disappeared into the bathroom and returned with two large towels and together they began to rub the dog dry. The fact that their own shirts were soaked and bone-chilling cold crawled over their own skins didn’t matter to them. Just like always the only thing they cared about was to make sure those under their protection were safe.

Levi then checked the wound and bandaged it again. The dog howled so pained that it almost broke Erwin's heart. He looked down at him compassionately and continued to stroke him soothingly.

“I'll be on my way then.” Erwin looked up as Levi put a blanket around him and knelt down to him, and nodded.

“Be careful,” he whispered, and Levi smiled.

“I promise,” he assured him, kissing his forehead. “Take good care of him.”

He nodded again and then, Levi swiftly got back onto his feet, squeezing his shoulder comfortingly, before he took another coat from the hook next to the door and put it on. Then he disappeared and Erwin looked after him. It felt like a faint memory, an imagine he head seen so often, Levi walking away from him, his cloak rustling and the last thing he saw of him were white and blue wings on green ground and just like he did back then, Erwin silently wished that Levi would return.

~*~

Levi rode as fast as he could without endangering Raven, the concern about the dog following him. It had actually started snowing again and dark clouds swallowed the last pale light of the night. The glow from the lantern now attached to Raven's saddle flickered as Levi galloped through the forest, but Levi knew it well. After all, he had discovered this place with Hanji on one of their explorations and had come here frequently with his friends and comrades to build a new life for Erwin and him.

Thus, even in almost complete darkness, Levi knew where the now snow-covered trail ran along. In addition, Raven was especially sure-footed and experienced in dealing with unfamiliar terrain.

Despite his short stature, Raven had been the fastest, most agile, and most enduring horse of the Survey Corps.

Still, making progress in the fresh, sticky snow was difficult. The pitch-black stallion snorted with effort; his nostrils widened to get enough air as he fought his way out of the snow. He seemed to know how important it was for Levi and he always gave everything for him. The two of them had been an unbeatable team for years, having survived the greatest dangers together. They trusted each other blindly.

Soon Levi and Raven broke out of the forest. The village of the hunters wasn’t far away. Just a little further east, following the stream.

“Well done, Raven, thank you,” he said and clapped the sweaty neck of the stallion, who snorted. “Just a bit further, please.”

Raven nodded and turned to where Levi led him, trotting close to the creek, which was frozen by now and for a moment, Levi allowed himself to look up, watching how those little crystals sailed like tiny boats down to earth. The first time it had snowed, Erwin and he had been asleep, only waking up to the lovely, white beauty, but now, he was experiencing it. He opened his hand and a few flakes landed in his palm, melting immediately, creating a little, cold pond.

“How beautiful,” he said with a faint smile, but then he closed his hand and focused back on the track.

Finally, far away, he could make out the shadowy contours of the village, though the term was probably a bit of a stretch. It was more a collection of 10 houses, a small village square and some enclosures for a few pigs, sheep, two cows and three horses. The chickens, on the other hand, ran free in the street and a dog barked in its kennel.

“Stop! Who goes there?” a voice asked, and Levi was blinded by the glow of a lantern. Hastily he shielded his eyes and was about to answer when the sentry seemed to hesitate. “Levi?”

He blinked in surprise and raised his head as the lantern was lowered. He knew the voice.

“Sasha?”

It truly was Sasha.

“What are you doing here?” she asked as she leapt light-footedly from her guard post on the roof of one of the houses and hurried over to him. “I mean Connie had told me that you build a house outside the wall, but who knew that you...”

She paused and looked at him with widened eyes.

“Is something wrong with Erwin?”

“No, no he's fine.” Levi smiled, feeling an unexpected relief to see Sasha again. She hadn’t changed a bit. During their time together he had grown quite fond of the new recruits and even though it had pained him to see their expressions harden, it was nice to see that they had basically stayed the same.

“Then what brings you here? In the middle of the night?” she continued before Levi even had a chance to say anything else.

“We found an injured dog in the woods, caught by a steel trap.”

“Steel trap?” Sasha frowned and pressed her lips together until they were a thin line.

“So, those weren’t yours?”

“No.” She shook her head. “We only use bows and arrows. That sounds like poachers.”

A harsh flicker ran through her eyes, a flame of anger.

“They only kill for profits and now that the Titans don’t exist anymore…”

“I know.” Levi nodded. He knew how fast shadows could spread. “Do you have any medicine for animals? We only have some for humans and we weren’t quite sure if we could…”

“God, no. You might have killed him,” Sasha exclaimed.

Just in that moment the door of one of the houses opened and a man, older than Erwin, came out, a jacket hastily thrown over his shoulders, carrying a lantern.

“Sasha, what's going on out here?”

“Father.” She turned to face him. “This is Levi.”

“Captain Levi,” he said in amazement.

“Just Levi,” he replied with a smile. “I'm not a captain anymore.”

“They found a dog, injured by the trap of poachers,” Sasha explained to him.

“Poachers? Have they already ventured that far? We need to keep our eyes open. The new balance of nature is still unstable.”

"We can worry about that later, Father,” she said impatiently. “He asked us for medicine for the dog. Could you please get my horse ready while I gather them?”

“You're coming with me?” Levi asked, astonished.

“I know a little about veterinary medicine. I thought I'd take a look at him.”

“Thanks, Sasha.” She smiled and twirled around to disappear into the house. Her father, however, didn't move, and just looked at Levi for a few, long moments. Questioningly, Levi tilted his head. “Is something wrong?”

“No.” The older man shook his head. “I just wanted to thank you for taking care of my little Sasha and for destroying the Titans.”

“It wasn't just me alone,” Levi replied seriously. “Your daughter had a big part in that. She's a great gain to the Survey Corps.”

“I have to admit, I never expected that.” A small smile, barely visible in the darkness, settled on his lips. “But she's no longer the girl who left our village out of spite.”

“You can be proud of her.” Sasha's father nodded and then walked away without another word.

Levi waited and stroked Raven who had rested his head on his shoulder. For a moment, he wondered what they were going to do after they had taken care of the dog. He was very trusting and showed no suspicion towards people. So, the assumption was obvious that he had been domesticated and for some reason was now on his own.

Maybe he should ask Sasha and her father if they would take him in? He would not be comfortable releasing him back into the wild, where he could easily become a prey for the wolves. Strange how much he came to care for that little canine.

He couldn't give it any more thought, though, as Sasha returned with a large backpack over her shoulder.

“It's nice to see that Raven is still with you.”

“And I hope he will be for quite a while longer.” Levi’s smile flickered and he rubbed Raven’s nostrils, who contently blew his warm breath into his palm.

Sasha's father arrived soon after with a chestnut mare on the reins, which he put into his daughter's hand and Levi and Sasha mounted their horses.

“I might be a while, father.”

“I know. I’ll overtake your guard.” He nodded towards her and they exchanged a smile, before Sasha turned her mare around.

“Lead the way, Levi.”

“Why do you have to keep watch?” Levi asked after they had moved away from the village.

“Now that the Titans are gone, there will be more predators. We're just making sure they don't take our animals.”

“I see. Do you intent to stay in your village now?”

“Oh no!” Sasha exclaimed almost shocked and shook her head vehemently. “I'm just visiting. I'll be back on duty in a week.”

“Then we and the dog were really lucky.” Levi turned his head towards her and smiled. “It's good to see you again.”

“You too, Captain.” She grinned and Levi laughed. “I'm glad to see you're both doing well and finally live at peace.”

“Thank you. I'm glad, too. When he was...” Levi's voice broke off. He didn't like thinking back to that day in Shiganshina. The day he thought he had lost Erwin forever.

“I know,” Sasha said sympathetically. “You don't have to say it. We would all have been deeply devastated, too. Erwin was a good commander and you were a good captain. The best we could have. The best of friends.”

Levi widened his eyes in surprise for a moment, but then huffed and smiled.

“And all of you were the best of comrades.”

“Well, we better hurry.” With that, Sasha spurred her mare on and Levi lead her through the forest.

~*~

“Oh, Levi, good you're back. He's getting worse and I...” Erwin looked up when the front door opened, a few snowflakes coming in. He paused when he realised that the person who entered was not Levi. “Sasha.”

“Hello, Erwin.” She smiled and brushed the snow out of her auburn hair. “It's good to see you.”

“You, too.” Erwin assured, still feeling completely surprised. “But where's Levi?”

“He's looking after the horses. Making sure they're warm and feeding them,” she explained, kneeling down beside him and taking the backpack off her shoulders. “So, this is the little guy? Levi told me what happened.”

“Yes.” Erwin turned back to the dog. His breathing was shallow and strained, his eyes closed for a long time. “He's all hot.”

“May I have a look? I have a bit of knowledge.”

“Yes, please.” Erwin nodded and Sasha moved over to his hind paw. The dog flinched when she slowly began to remove the bandage, whining. “Shh, boy, shhh, it’s going to be fine. She’s a friend of ours and she is going to have a look at you.”

“Geez, that doesn’t look good,” Sasha hissed after she had removed the bandage. Her brows furrowed as she examined the injury and each time the dog whimpered, Erwin stroked him and whispered soothing words, trying to ease him a little.

“Is he going to be fine?” He asked after a while, his voice more concerned than he had expected.

“Yes, I think so, but…” Sasha leaned back on her heels and took a deep breath.

“Sasha?”

“I have to amputate the leg,” she said, a sad glance in her eyes and Erwin’s heart clenched for a moment, his eyes darting back to the dog, who already trusted him so much and who had grown onto him in such a short amount of time.

“Is there no other way?”

“No other way for what?” Levi asked as he entered back into the house, immediately slipping out of his boots so that no snow or mud would come into their house- although it was already too late for it.

“The leg needs to be amputated,” Erwin said and didn’t look at him, his hand running through the brown fur.

Levi’s eyes widened and he hurried over to them.

“Is it sure?”

“I’m afraid so,” Sasha said and nodded. “The wound is already inflamed and the muscles are torn apart. He’d drag it after him anyway. He’s better off without it.”

She then turned her head to Erwin.

“I’m sorry.”

Levi looked at Erwin, who had unknowingly reached for his own amputated arm and rested his hand above his, squeezing it comfortingly, before he leaned his head against him. Erwin took a deep breath and his eyes cleared, before he shook his head with a soft smile.

“There’s no need to be sorry, Sasha,” he assured her. “I’m grateful. Without your help he would probably have died. Now, he at least has a chance.”

“If it's any consolation, it won't affect him much,” Sasha explained as she pulled up her backpack and started rummaging around in it. Finally, she pulled out a syringe and a small vial of clear liquid. She flicked against the glass and the liquid trembled, whereupon she nodded contentedly and drew up the syringe with the medicine.

“This is a mild anaesthetic that will numb the leg locally. Unfortunately, I can't assure you that he won't feel anything at all. So, you might want to tie his mouth shut.”

“No,” Erwin replied, resolutely, without hesitation. Sasha looked up, the anaesthetic now glistening in the syringe, and Levi turned to him, a sceptical, thoughtful gaze in his dark eyes.

“Erwin,” he began carefully. “He will be in pain and we don't know how he will react. Maybe it's better if we...”

“He won't bite me,” he countered stubbornly, full of certainty. “He trusts me and I'm not going to let that down by fixing him.”

Sasha and Levi exchanged a look of disbelief with a hint of worry. They knew that there was more to it than he himself probably saw at that moment.

Levi sighed, but knew that Erwin wouldn’t change his mind if he was so determined. He could be quite headstrong.

“Okay, we won’t,” he whispered therefore and kissed the corner of his mouth until the tension faded out of his body and then turned to Sasha. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Sasha’s frown deepened for a moment, surprised that Levi gave in so quickly which was quite unlike him, but it seemed he was able to understand what this really was about. When Levi tilted his head questioningly, she tore herself out of her thoughts and nodded.

“I have to roll him onto the stomach and spread the leg out so I can amputate it. Would you secure his other leg? He might kick in reflex and accidentally hurt us or himself.”

“Of course.” Quickly, he kissed Erwin’s cheek, before he moved around the dog’s body and sat down behind his back, while Sasha carefully rolled him over. The dog winced and pressed his head into Erwin’s lap, who caressed him tenderly between his ears.

“I'm going to start now,” Sasha announced, who had put on gloves and was injecting the anaesthetic.

The operation took a long time, but at least it took place under reasonably hygienic conditions, as clean as Levi kept the house.

Cutting through the femur proved difficult and Sasha needed several attempts even though she used an appropriate knife. The dog was brave, but as predicted, the anaesthetic didn’t take full effect. It had to be reinjected twice as he began to writhe in pain. Each time Erwin was able to calm him down, but the painful cries broke the hearts of everyone present. This wasn’t fair. An animal shouldn’t suffer like this just because some people didn’t have the courage to look their victim in the eyes, and silently they promised each other that they would do something about the poachers.

The severing itself, although exhausting and extremely bloody, fortunately didn’t take long. Afterwards, Sasha cleaned the wound and stitched it up diligently.

About an hour later, she finally sat back and exhaled deeply while wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

“That should do it.”

“Thank you, Sasha,” Erwin said, still stroking through the sweaty fur even though the dog likely didn’t notice it anymore. Somewhen halfway through the operation, the dog had passed out.

“Sure, don't mention it,” she said as she slipped off her gloves. Then she reached for her backpack and pulled out a package of pills which she handed to Erwin. “Those are antibiotics. Give him one each day over the next ten days together with some food, but not before tomorrow noon. He isn’t supposed to eat or drink. Would likely throw it up anyway.”

Erwin nodded.

“Understood.”

“Good, good. I better should get going…oh, thank you.” She smiled as Levi, who had just got up, and handed her a glass of water which she emptied eagerly.

“You can stay the night,” Erwin offered. “It’s late and dark outside.”

“Or I could accompany you.”

“No, not necessary.” She shook her head and smirked, but she looked exhausted, while she packed up her stuff. “But you owe me…”

“A dinner, I know.” A soft chuckle escaped Erwin. “Whenever you want. You’re always welcome.”

“I’ll get back on that.” Sasha smiled as she got up and for a moment looked at her blood-strained skirt and blouse. “I will come back tomorrow to check on him. Make sure he doesn't lick the wound or move around too much. If he has to go out to pee, you have to carry him out.”

“We will.” Carefully, Erwin rested the head of the dog down and got up. He stumbled slightly as his legs had gone dead over the several hours of kneeling on the floor. “Thank you, Sasha. Get back home safely.”

With that, he hugged her tight and she patted his back with a smile.

“It was good to see you, Erwin.”

“Yes, it was, although I had hoped the reasons would be different.” Sasha nodded and let go of him and walked up to Levi, who looked at her with his typical stern face for a moment, but then huffed and smiled, before he hugged her.

“Thank you, Sasha. Stay safe.” Sasha blinked and pulled away, likely figuring that Levi meant more than just her way back home. Even though the Tians were gone, it didn’t mean that there weren’t any dangers out there anymore.

Just when she headed towards the door, she stopped and turned around.

“Congratulations on your new dog. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then she pushed the door open and slipped into the night. The wind had picked up and a cold draught entered the house, but Levi and Erwin didn’t notice. Instead they only looked at each other for a moment, communicating silently like they did so many times, before their eyes looked at the dog, who was resting on a blanket close to the fire.

“Let us figure out what to do with him, when he’s better. It’s something we have to consider carefully,” Levi said as he walked up to him and cradled Erwin’s cheek. It took a moment before he realised the touch, but then his blue eyes returned to Levi.

“You’re right.” A warm, soft smile spread over his face and he kissed his palm. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” he returned immediately, without a moment of hesitation. Then he got onto his toes and kissed him. Erwin sighed and closed his eyes, while he cradled the back of his head, running his big hand through the pitch-black hair.

But then all of the adrenaline of the day suddenly seemed to fade out of the both of them and they slumped back onto the couch, allowing the warmth of the fire to soothe them, to provide a feeling of peace as they cuddled.

Levi yawned deeply after a while and his head dropped against Erwin’s shoulders, his heavy eyelids falling close.

“Go to bed, love,” Erwin whispered and nudged him, while pressing a kiss against the crown of his head. “I’ll stay awake and watch over him.”

“No, I’m alright,” he murmured, but his voice was deep and slurred as he was slowly nodding off.

“You’ve done all the hard work today,” Erwin said softly, the warm breath of his words stroking over Levi’s scalp, making him shiver. “You need some rest.”

“You sure…?”

“When am I ever not?” He chuckled. “Go to sleep, you deserve it.”

“Hmm…if I must.” Levi sat up and stretched. “Wake me if you need anything.”

“I will,” he assured and took his hand, placing a delicate kiss to his knuckles. “Good night, Levi.”

“Good night, love.” One of Levi's not-so-rare-anymore smiles was on his lips as he stepped over his legs and leaned down to brush his lips over Erwin’s. Then he disappeared into the back of their house towards their bedroom and Erwin heard how the door fell shut. With a smile, he turned back to the dog and his eyes saddened again when they laid themselves onto the white bandage which stood out against the brown and black freckled fur.

“I’m so sorry that you had to suffer because of some terrible humans,” he whispered into the silence and got back up from the couch, resting himself back next to him and stroked through his fur, a heavy sigh resting inside of him that wanted to get out. “We’ll take care of you, I promise.”

Because if Erwin was honest, he loved the dog already and he wanted him to stay. It would be nice to have someone around, when Levi was out, hunting and chopping woods with what Erwin couldn’t help him.

Erwin didn't know how much time had passed when suddenly Levi, wrapped in a thick white blanket, dropped down beside him and covered them both in it.

“Couldn't you sleep?”

“No. I was too worried.” Then it was quiet for a while. “I think we both know we can't release him like this. He wouldn't survive out there much longer and would probably fall prey to the wolves or some other predators. I briefly considered taking him to Sasha's village, but with one leg missing, he's not suitable as a guard or hunting dog.”

“No, probably not.” Erwin sighed, but didn't seem particularly sad. Then he turned his head towards him and deep, blue eyes looked at Levi. “Do you think...”

“I think we're both thinking the same thing. Just like always...”

“And you truly want this? You don’t…”

“When do I ever do something just for you?” Levi interrupted him with a chuckle and kissed him. “I’d tell you if I were opposed to the idea. I care for him, too.”

Erwin’s face brightened, the clouds of worry disappearing from his face for the first time today.

“I’m sorry. I know I got a bit too invested into it.”

“No, it’s okay. I know what it really was about,” Levi assured him as he cupped his cheek with a smile and Erwin looked back up through his long lashes. “It’s still the right thing to do and something that I want, too. Despite, I know you hate that you can’t help me much around the house and like that you have something to do, too. To look after him, take him out, educate him. I think it would do you some good to have a task.”

“You’re right,” he admitted. “I know it’s not true and you don’t see it like this, but I do feel that way at times.”

“Well then,” Levi said. “I guess we have to think about a name, now.”

“Hmmm…” Erwin leaned back, resting his weight on his hand as he looked up thoughtfully at the ceiling.

The fire crackled in the carmine as they both thought about how they wanted to name their new canine companion. They were aware it was a bit of keeping their hopes up as it still wasn’t sure he was going to survive, but it kept their active brains busy for a while.

Most of the suggestions they came up with were rather stupid like Bobby or Bucky and were immediately dismissed with a snort by the other. This game went on for a while, until the sun rose again, the fresh colours of dawn painting the clear winter sky and Erwin turned his head to Levi and said:

“I like Takeru.”

“Takeru?” Levi tilted his head. “A strange name. Does it have a meaning?”

“Hmmhmm. It means soldier or warrior.”

“You do really like naming things after the dead language of my ancestors, don’t you?” Levi asked with a roll of his eyes and then glared at him sideway.

“I like the sound of it.” Erwin shrugged non-chloranthy. “It’s quite obvious that he’s domesticated and was left behind for whatever reason. Though, I think we both guess that the village was destroyed by the Titans and he survived, and made his own way. So, I find warrior quite fitting. Besides, we can shorten it to Taki.”

“Taki…” Levi mused the name on his tongue thoughtfully and then nodded appreciative. “I think I like that.”

Then he leaned forward and gently ruffled through the brown fur.

“Welcome to the family, Takeru.”

~*~  
This is how Takeru looks like, if anyone is interessted:  


**Author's Note:**

> So what do you think? =) When I created this headcanon fix-it series, I always saw them with a dog and so I began to create an origin story =)
> 
> Have a beautiful Sunday/Valentine's day, Subaru 😊


End file.
